Handbag with break-away purse

ABSTRACT

A handbag having a break-away purse therein which is normally secured in the handbag by releasable means and has carrying strap means projecting therefrom for supporting said purse and connected handbag, said releasable means providing for separation of said purse and handbag in the event of an abnormal pull on the handbag while supported by said carrying strap means.

United States Patent 1 1 Landis 1 Apr. 17, 1973 I 54] HANDBAG WITH BREAK-AWAY 1,514,996 11/1924 Simey ..150 23 R PURSE 2,916,071 12/1959 Mirken ..150/28 R 2,851,076 9/1958 Stakofsky ..150/28 R [76] Inventor: Earle H. Landis, 940 Pres1dent Ave, Toms River, NJ. 08753 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [22] Filed: Apr. 6, 1971 317,492 3/1934 Italy ..l50/29 [52] US. Cl. .1S0/35, 150/12, 150/29, 150/47 [51] Int. Cl ..A45C 1/00 [58] Field of Search 150/12, 28 R, 29, 150/35, 47

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,267,611 12/1941 Laubenstein ..l50/29 3,104,010 9/1963 Pence ....150/l2 X 1,883,481 10/1932 Baum ...l50/2Q X 533,743 2/1895 Prahar ..150/29 App]. No.: 131,644

Primary Examiner-Samuel B. Rothberg Assistant Examiner-Stephen P. Garbe Attorney-Johnson & Kline [57] ABSTRACT A handbag having a break-away purse therein which is normally secured in the handbag by releasable means and has carrying strap means projecting therefrom for supporting said purse and connected handbag, said releasable means providing for separation of said purse and handbag in the event of an abnormal pull on the handbag while supported by said carrying strap means.

4 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PATENTEB APR 1 H975 SHEET 1 OF 2 INVENTOR. FQFZ? larzdl's ATTORNEY BY MM M HANDBAG WITH BREAK-AWAY PURSE Heretofore many handbags have been stolen by sneak thieves who grab a handbag usually carried by ladies and run away with it. When this occurs, the lady usually loses her money, credit cards and other valuables together with the usual cosmetic needs normally carried in a handbag.

The present invention overcomes these problems by providing a handbag which can accommodate the usual cosmetic needs with a break-away purse in which money, credit cards and other valuables may be carried with said purse having projecting carrying strap means thereon by which the handbag can be carried and which will readily separate from the handbag in response to an abnormalpull on the handbag while carried by said carrying strap means.

The handbag has a frame unit secured thereto and defining a closable opening and the purse is connected to said frame unit by releasable fasteners so as to be I disposed within said handbag.

The carrying strap on the purse can be adjustable and is ofa material which is strong and cannot be readily severed. Preferably the carrying strap is made of metallic chain, for example beaded chain.

An advantage of the present invention resides in the fact that the purse can be ornamental and of such a size that if desired, it can be removed from the handbag and used as a clutch or evening bag.

A further advantage resides in the fact that the frame unit can have a pocket to receive the purse and hold it in a position not to interfere with the cosmetics and thelike articles normally carried in a handbag. I

If desired, the frame can have concealed latch means to. hold the parts of the frame in position to close said opening of the handbag, and spring means for urging said frame to open-position when the latch means is released.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the specification and claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view, partly broken away, with the break-away purse partially separated from the handbag.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view, partly broken away, showing the purse in position.

FIG. 4 is an end view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 isan end view of the break-away purse.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the break-away purse.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of the frame unit showing the latch.

FIG. 8 is a view along line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 isa view taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 10 is asectional view taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 9.

FIG. I] is a fragmentary detailed view of the spring for opening the parts of said frame unit taken along line l1ll ofFIG. 3.

As shown in the drawings, the handbag I0 is illustrated as a pouch type receptacle having an opening 11 and a handbag frame unit 12 comprising two parts 13, 14 pivotally connected by pivots 15 and secured to the handbag about said opening at the top of the pouch thereof to outline the closable opening through which. cosmetic articles and the like (not shown) can be inserted to rest on the bottom 16 of the handbag.

In accordance with the invention, a break-away inner bag or purse 20 having a carrying chain 21 is provided and adapted to be located within the handbag and releasably secured thereto and to be removed through the opening 11.

In the illustrated form of the invention, the inner bag or purse 20 has a two-part metal purse frame having sections 22, 23 extending over the top and sections 22a, 23a extending over the ends and pivoted at 24. The frame has secured thereto the material M of the purse and forms the means for opening and closing the purse. A suitable releasable spring catch 25 secured to the frame sections 22, 23 of the purse cooperate'to hold the purse in closed position. The top of the frame sections 22, 23 have the strap means 21 connected thereto.

In the preferred form of the invention the handbag frame section 13 is wider than the section 14 and has a pocket formed therein having an open top portion 31 to receive and hold the purse. As shown, the purse is held in the pocket by releasable detent means 32. Preferably the detent means comprises a spring-pressed plunger 33. carried by each of the ends of the pocket and cooperating with a recess 34 formed in the ends 22a of the purse frame. The pressure of the springpressed detent is sufficient to hold the purse in the pocket during normal use of the handbag but will release and permit the separation of the purse from the handbag through the top opening portion of the frame upon an abnormal pull on the handbag while the purse is held by the carrying strap. If desired the recess can be elongated as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 to permit slight movement of the purse in the pocket as an incident to the opening and closing of the purse while disposed in the pocket.

The handbag frame sections are covered with fabric or cover material to match or blend with the material of the handbag. If desired the handbag frame sections can be urged to open position by spring means 15a associated with the pivot 15 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 11.

The sections are held in closed position by a releasable latch means. While the latch means may take many forms, it is herein illustrated as a latch 41 pivoted to a bracket 42 carried by the handbag frame section 12 as shown in FIGS. 3, 7 and 8. The latch has a projecting portion 43 provided with a hooked end 44 extending through an opening 45 in the frame section 13 and is normally releasably held in this position by a spring 46 carried by the bracket. The end of the hook portion44 has a cam surface 47 which lifts the hook as it projects through an opening 48 in the frame 14 to enable the hook to move into engagement with the frame section adjacent the opening 48 as shown in FIG. 7. The latch has a release button 49 which is disposed under an access opening 50 in the frame 13 whereby upon.depres-. sion of the release button 49 the latch is raised and released from the hooked relation with frame 14 whereupon the spring 15a moves the frame sections into open position. Preferably the cover material40extends over the access opening 50 as shown inFIG. 7'

and thus conceals the latch release button from view,

but the cover is flexible and permits the release button 4 to be actuated.

The carrying strap 21 for the, purse is preferably made of a material which cannot be readily severed as is frequently done in stealing a handbag. While the carrying strap can be made of leather reinforced with wire and the like, in the illustrated form of the invention the strap is made of cut-resistant metal beaded chain 51. The ends of the chains are passed through apertures 52, 53 formed in the purse frame sections 22, 23 adjacent each end thereof. One end of the chain is provided with an enlargement 54 which prevents said end from passing out through the aperture and the other end of the chain is engaged by a pivoted clip 55, as shown in FIGS. 6, 9 and 10 having a notch 56 to be disposed between the adjacent beads to prevent the chain from being withdrawn through the aperture. One feature of this construction resides in the fact that by engaging the clip 55 with various portions of the chain, the length of the carrying strap can be readily adjusted as required.

An advantage of the chain is that it can be readily plated, anodized or otherwise finished, depending upon the material of the chain, so as to match or blend with the material of the purse or handbag.

If desired, the purse can have an ornamental cover and be ofa size that when removed from the handbag it can be readily used as an evening or clutch bag. The carrying strap 21, if required, is reduced in length so as to lie along the frame sections 22, 23.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

lclaim:

l. A handbag having a hinged handbag frame defin ing a closable access opening therefor and a breakaway purse disposed within said handbag and releasably connected to said handbag frame, said purse including a hinged frame defining a closable access opening therefor, means connecting said handbag frame to said purse frame said purse frame being supported by said handbag frame, and a carrying strap means attached solely to the purse frame and projecting through the access opening of the handbag frame, said strap means having sufficient length to be carried on the forearm of the wearer, said means connecting the handbag frame to said purse frame being yieldable to permit the handbag frame to be snatched and disconnected from the purse frame which remains connected to the carrying strap means in the hand or on the arm of the wearer.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the connecting means between said handbag frame and purse frame comprises a spring-pressed projection and a cooperating recess to receive the projection. v

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said carrying strap comprises a length of cut-resisting metallic beaded chain mechanically connected to the frame of the purse.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said handbag frame has pivotally connected metal sections and there are manually engageable, releasable concealed latch means between said sections for maintaining said frame sections together in closed position. 

1. A handbag having a hinged handbag frame defining a closable access opening therefor and a break-away purse disposed within said handbag and releasably connected to said handbag frame, said purse including a hinged frame defining a closable access opening therefor, means connecting said handbag frame to said purse frame said purse frame being supported by said handbag frame, and a carrying strap means attached solely to the purse frame and projecting through the access opening of the handbag frame, said strap means having sufficient length to be carried on the forearm of the wearer, said means connecting the handbag frame to said purse frame being yieldable to permit the handbag frame to be snatched and disconnected from the purse frame which remains connected to the carrying strap means in the hand or on the arm of the wearer.
 2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the connecting means between said handbag frame and purse frame comprises a spring-pressed projection and a cooperating recess to receive the projection.
 3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said carrying strap comprises a length of cut-resisting metallic beaded chain mechanically connected to the frame of the purse.
 4. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said handbag frame has pivotally connected metal sections and there are manually engageable, releasable concealed latch means between said sections for maintaining said frame sections together in closed position. 